Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are set for a season-defining showdown in the UEFA Europa League final on May 21.
With both clubs enduring forgettable Premier League campaigns, winning in Bilbao is their golden ticket to the Champions League for next season.
Here we revisit the last five fiercely contested meetings between these two sides.
Feb 16, 2025 – Premier League: Tottenham 1–0 United
With the Red Devils plagued by injuries, manager Ruben Amorim named eight promising youngsters on the bench.
A 13th-minute strike from James Maddison was the difference between the two sides in a game that lacked quality in the final third.
Andre Onana gifted Maddison an easy scoring chance by parrying Lucas Bergvall’s shot directly into the Englishman’s path.
Despite flashes from Joshua Zirkzee and Alejandro Garnacho, United failed to carve out anything clinical in the final third.
It was a forgettable encounter for the neutral, but a crucial three points for Spurs.
Dec 19, 2024 – EFL Cup Quarter-Final: Tottenham 4–3 United
Spurs won a seven-goal thriller to knock the Red Devils out of the Carabao Cup before the turn of the year.
Tottenham stormed to a 3–0 lead, with Dominic Solanke bagging a brace and Dejan Kulusevski getting in on the act.
United showed great spirit to fight back with Zirkzee and Amad Diallo scoring in quick succession to set the stage for a nail-biting finish.
Son Heung-min then curled in a spectacular goal directly from a corner, stunning the crowd and halting United’s momentum.
Jonny Evans added late drama with a stoppage-time strike, but it was not enough to prevent Spurs from advancing.
Sep 29, 2024 – Premier League: Manchester United 0–3 Tottenham
Tottenham turned Old Trafford into a playground with a ruthless, dominant performance from start to finish.
An early strike from Brennan Johnson set the tone for the visitors, and things got worse for United when captain Bruno Fernandes was shown a red card for a late challenge on Maddison.
The hosts tried to fight their way out but goals from Kulusevski and Solanke ensured a heavy home loss for United.
For Erik ten Hag, it was a night that raised serious questions about his management.
Jan 14, 2024 – Premier League: Manchester United 2–2 Tottenham
Rasmus Hojlund lit up Old Trafford with a third-minute thunderbolt that sent the home fans into ecstasy.
However, Richarlison equalised with a header from a corner routine after Onana did not even attempt to punch the ball.
Marcus Rashford restored United’s advantage, but Rodrigo Bentancur’s second-half goal helped Spurs take a crucial point.
Apr 27, 2023 – Premier League: Tottenham 2–2 Manchester United
The Red Devils squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2–2 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Jadon Sancho was named in the starting XI, and he gave a perfect start to his side by curling his shot past the goalkeeper.
A sensational solo goal from Rashford doubled United’s lead, but the momentum swung towards the hosts after the interval.
Pedro Porro scored a fantastic goal from outside of his right foot before Son ghosted in at the far post to tap home the equaliser and cap a stirring comeback.